Nechemyah 9:16

16 But they and Avoteinu dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and paid heed not to Thy mitzvot,

Nechemyah 9:16 Meaning and Commentary

Nehemiah 9:16

But they and our fathers dealt proudly
Behaved in a haughty manner towards God, their kind benefactor:

and hardened their necks;
refused to take the yoke of his law, as refractory oxen, that withdraw their necks from the yoke:

and hearkened not to thy commandments;
to do them, though they promised they would, ( Exodus 24:7 ) .

Nechemyah 9:16 In-Context

14 And madest known unto them Thy Shabbos Kadosh, and commandedst them mitzvot, chukkim, and torah, by the yad of Moshe Thy eved;

15 And gavest them lechem from Shomayim for their hunger, and broughtest forth mayim for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess Ha’Aretz which Thou hadst sworn to give them.

16 But they and Avoteinu dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and paid heed not to Thy mitzvot,

17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of Thy wonders that Thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a rosh to return to their bondage; but Thou art Eloah Selichot, channun and rachum, slow to anger, and of great chesed, and forsookest them not.

18 Yea, when they had made them an egel massekhah, and said, This is Eloheicha that brought thee up out of Mitzrayim, or when they committed ne’atzot gedolot (great blasphemies);